Zero Shame
by Felix3D
Summary: "Aya. There is no greater force in Gensokyo than I. Yet you insist on taking pictures of me, slandering me, and, worst of all, interrupting my naps." - Yakumo Yukari. Aya has really done it this time. Exiled-temporarily, and bound to a pink-haired magic user, she now has to deal with the manipulations from the natives and her homeland. What else to do but report it all?
1. One with Nothing

Zero Shame: Chapter One: Aya, One with Nothing

* * *

_"Aya. There is no greater force in Gensokyo than I. Yet you insist on taking pictures of me, slandering me, and, worst of all, interrupting my nap." _~ Yakumo Yukari

* * *

_FOQUET SPOTTED NEAR TRISTAIN'S MAGICAL ACADEMY_

_According to local sources, the infamous thief Foquet the Crumbling Dirt  
has been sighted around Tristain's famed magical Academy. Though hated  
by most nobles, commoners are often indifferent when asked about this  
menace. Some sources say that Foquet only targets the rich, often nobles  
who overtax their subjects. Others claim that he only goes after the boastful,  
the ones who become too proud of the possessions they own. Most rumors  
contain the same base fact: that Foquet is not a commoner, but rather a  
Noble, most likely poor. Some say he is a disposed noble masquerading among  
commoners, learning about treasures of different families by pretending to  
be a servant or employee... [Continued on page 4]_

_LOUISE NOT-THE-ZERO_

_Louise Françoise le Blanc de la Vallière, more commonly known as Louise the  
Zero, has, on the previous day of water, cast 3 successful spells despite her  
nickname. High ranking sources in the Academy have confirmed that aside  
from the 2 familiar-related spells done in public, Lady Vallière cast a  
successful translation spell that day too. [continued on page 3]_

_AYA SHAMEIMARU REPORTER EXTRAORDINAIRE ARRIVES IN TRISTIAN_

_Rejoice readers! The fastest reporter ever to be known is here to provide  
you with news, articles, and rumors collected fast, written fast, and delivered  
fast! You'll know the news before the wind has had time to carry it! Aya  
Shameimaru is able to provide you with not just articles but[cont. on page 2]_

_Tabitha's Book Review Column_

_Book: __Twin Moon Collapse: A study on the moons' effects on magic and behavior._

_Notes: This book contains information important to Wind and Water mages.  
"Behavior" section is of little value._

_Verdict: Library. Do not Buy_

* * *

Aya didn't like her situation very much. Exiled from Gensokyo for the moment, the fact that she was branded and claimed by this young magic-user did not improve her temperament. She did not want to stay in this world longer than the gap youkai forced her to. On the other hand, it seems that once the runes were burned into her flesh, this young human became her responsibility.

Many have accused her of being "flighty" and flippant about rules and obligations. True, she was quick and flew about as a reporter, but as a Tengu she prized responsibility. And since Louise became her responsibility, Aya could not turn away from her. No, she'll see this little partnership through. It was probably the damn [WORD GAPPED]'s intention anyway.

Which is why when a section of wall crumbled and threatened her "master," Aya swooped down and sped the two of them away to safety. The young girl's breath was quick and shallow, clutching the exiled one close as she longed for stability.

"Thhhe... The Vault!" Louise realized, barely managed to explain as she recovered from her scare. "It's going after the vault! F..! Stop that Golem!"

Aya set the mage down and turned back to look at just what nearly killed her mage. A great animated earthen mound-like creature was attacking the Academy's walls in a manner she'd never seen before. Aya knew about the Celestial incident, and that of the HisouTensoku, yet this "golem", this type of amalgamation of earth and life was something she had not witnessed yet. Not knowing what else to do, Aya chose to fire blasts of wind in order to rebuff it.

"What is this thing?" she shouted over the din, questioning her summoner with the ability to manipulate wind.

Louise, still shaken, yet now standing tall, replied. "It's a golem! It's a construct that's being controlled by a mage! You can destroy it or just take out the controller!"

Nodding in acknowledgement, Aya let out a "Stay here. I'll take care of this!" as she flew off, knowing that she could unleash more of her power on the golem.

Her blasts of wind were quite ineffectual, as any damage would just be filled in with new dirt as time went on. Any stronger and the Academy would be damaged further and endanger the students both inside and out. Aya switched to more destructive Danmaku shots charged with far more energy than allowed in Gensokyo as she whirled about in [Illusionary Dominance] level speeds, looking for the "controller" of the Golem.

She found it, on the other side of the Golem's head. She began directing her wind-laden danmaku blasts towards the exposed mage, only for it to reform part of the golem as a shield.

*Boom*

All of a sudden, a part of the golem seemed to fall off, dropping toward...

Louise.

What was she doing there?

Pushing her speed, she once again scooped up her master in her arms.

This time, she would get _angry_.

~~ ./One Week Ago\. ~~

"So what are you?" Still a bit awestruck at her familiar's wings and the power contained in them, Louise didn't know how to react to all it was telling her. Her hand fiddled with the tip of her familiar's wings, fingers delighted by the soft downy feel of the black feathers, making her even calmer. Paying no heed to the molestation, Aya energetically continued her explanation. "I'm a crow tengu! A reporter, I take pictures with my camera and write articles with them!"

Reporter, Louise thought as she then turned to the leaf-like fan in her hands, she knew the word. A profession that had to do with "the press". As she fiddled further with her familiar's fan, the young mage recalled all she knew about this relatively new establishment.

The press was a new tool that was popularized by some commoners and a line-class earth mage capable of creating many pages of information very quickly. Tristian itself only had the machine popularized after the Queen pushed for the use of it during the last war. Most "reporters" in Tristian were under the employ of the royal family. They were commoners and disposed nobles that posessed a good understanding of writing, and who had earned a good position due to their academic merit. Louise knew about what Reporters did, but never used or read the "papers" they wrote herself. Being a noble, she was far more familiar with the heralds employed by the academy and her own estate. Did that mean her Familiar was also a close servant of Royalty? But still, there were things that Louise didn't know. She set down the fan and picked up what her familiar called her "life, pride and joy!".

"Aya... what is this "Camera" exactly? And how does it take these... "pictures"?"

"A Camera is an extremly important tool for Reporters!" Excitedly, Aya snatched her pride and joy, the custom Aya-type NitoriTech Camera, from Louise's hands to demonstrate. "Capable of getting a scoop at speeds upwards of mach 3, a wonder of Kappa technology! It is able to be used offensively against danmaku! Like I said before, it's my pride and joy! It's able to take pictures, which are basically instant portraits of whole scenes, and... develop... them..."

Quite suddenly, Aya's eyes went dull. She realized just why the sukima put her on this world.

"DAMN YOU YUKARI!"

~~ .o. ~~

A few hours later, after Aya had calmed down, the Master and Familiar pair began setting rules for each other. Since Aya was pretty much stuck in Halkegina until Yukari decided to let her back into Gensokyo, the crow tengu decided to stay with Louise, if anything because Louise needed her at the moment.

It wasn't as if she couldn't run away from the mage, in fact, if she did Louise wouldn't ever be able to catch up, no matter what the young girl used. Rather, if she stayed, everything will be provided for, be it clothes, shelter, and food. In return she just had to watch over and listen to the young noble.

Louise, on the other hand, felt far more confident in herself now that she had summoned such a powerful creature. Yet at the same time, she did not feel as confident as she thought she would, as now her Familiar made sure that she understood that it was sentient and powerful enough to disobey her if it wanted to. Not that it would, the crow tengu added, trying to calm her down, just that it could. And above all, not to endanger herself… again.

The two girls agreed that to make things work, it had to be a partnership. It took a few heated comments and more than a couple dodged explosions, but by the end of the day the pair had established what their situation would be. Unlike what Louise had originally thought, this relationship would be one of give-and-take, not say-and-obey, and she would have to listen to her familiar just as much as it listened to her (much to her dismay). Aya also had to accept the fact that Louise "outranked" her in this world, and had to comply as well as she could to the noble's commands, especially in public.

Feeling satisfied with the talk, the tengu flew off to look around the academy while Louise sat down and wrote a letter to her family, detailing the success of her summons.

The black haired tengu enjoyed the crisp air as she sped along the winds, freely flying by each of the six towers of the academy, even doing a quick run through the forest before returning to the main building. Many students were playing with their familiars still in the courtyard, and the smell of roast meat and spiced soup was in the air.

Knowing that she could not eat in the dining hall anyway, Aya followed the scent to the kitchens, barely missing a maid as she turned the final corner.

Still, the shock alone was enough for Siesta to drop the tray she was carrying, only for it to be held in place by a cushion of air.

"Ah! Sorry! Let me help you with that."

Aya picked up the tray and turned back to the maid, who was shaking now pointing at her newly-exposed ears and wings.

"Wh... what are you?" The young girl stammered out, clearly frightened by the newcomer's form.

Aya gently set the tray down as she offered the maid her hand. "Hi, I'm Aya Shameimaru, a crow _tengu_. I was summoned as a familiar today"

"A tengu?" Hesitantly, Siesta grabbed Aya's hand and stood up, faint recognition tickling away at her mind. "Isn't that... a mountain spirit?"

It was Aya's turn to look in shock. "You... you _know_?"

~.o.~

"You... don't really look like a tengu. I thought you would..."

"Look less human?"

After a round of apologies, explanations, and introductions, Aya and Siesta bonded with each other while carrying a tray of food up the stairs to Louise, who Aya earlier alerted with her great speed.

The said noble was a little displeased at Aya for inviting Siesta to dine with the two of them, but Aya insisted, finally convincing the pinkette by revealing Siesta knew of Tengus and could help her understand Aya better.

Which lead to the reporter carrying large and heavy baskets of food (at her own insistence nonetheless) while the maid held a few light snacks with a tea service upon a serving tray.

"A lot of outsiders say that." Aya mused, as they went up the stairs. "But I like to point out that I can take different forms if I wished, and staying in this form makes it easier to write and take pictures."

Siesta nodded, noting that it did make sense, as she was careful not to spill the tea. "My grandfather also talked about those 'pictures' and 'cameras' when he was still alive. He said it was able to take a portrait of a person in a moment. Is that true?"

Aya smiled at the maid's question. "Absolutely. It makes reporting alot easier. Here, I'll show you my camera when we get to the room"

The maid didn't know whether to smile or to cry. She didn't want to intrude upon Lady Valliere's mealtime, but the noble's familiar insisted. As the two reached the room, the Pink-haired girl was already waiting for them. Introductions were done as she held open the door, and the three girls had their first meal together.

It would become tradition for the three future friends, and would lead to Siesta obtaining her first noble friend.

And her first Tengu one.

~~.\ .o. /.~~

"Don't worry me like that again! What if you got hurt? That speed could have killed you! You're lucky I was able to go slow enough!"

'By the founder', thought Louise as her familiar berated her. 'She sounds like Eleanor!'

Try as she might, the flat-chested mage could not find any fault in her familiar. This incident was her fault after all, as she ignored Aya's warning and even let Foquet get away, after all. But that didn't stop the frustration from snapping her self control in half.

"I'm a noble! It is my duty to ~"

It was the first time Lady Valliere felt terror when she looked upon her familiar. Somehow those two red eyes evoked terror, like a bird of prey staring down a hapless mouse, no, like how the eyes of a murder of crows stared down a hapless victim, unable to escape. Her word died in her throat.

"Your. Job. Is. To. Stay. A-. Live." Each syllable accented with anger, the phrase caused Louise to deflate further. She had never felt this afraid since leaving her mother. "Do. You. ?"

"... yes..." was the weak reply. Louise could feel the tears welling up. She knew what she did was stupid, but she couldn't fail anymore. She had familiar now! She was supposed to have successes! Not abysmal screw-ups. She could hear the jokes and back-stabbing comments again. Kirche's out-front jokes and teasing comments were far easier to bear, as she only said them straight to the Valliere's face. But the nameless, faceless persecution was almost always too much.

She was stopped before she could sob as two lithe yet strong arms grabbed ahold of her as she found her face in a soft pillowy chest. Two more warm appendages wrapped around her, cloaking her in a black downy cape.

That afternoon Louise cried into her familiar's chest.

And Aya saw how fragile her summoner truly was.

* * *

AN: Aya Shameimaru!


	2. Murder of Crows

_"She's covered war's y'know, (not that she does it well or anything)" _~ Momiji Inubashiri

_"Yes, she's covered wars. She also makes incidents happen." _~ Hatate Himekaidou

_"She begged us to teach her our trade. Now she prints off her newspaper without any finesse. She should stick to what she knows, and let us do the printing"_~ Unnamed Yamabushi Tengu

~.o.~  
_KAKASHI SPIRIT NEWS EXTRA ISSUE #1_

_UNPROFESSIONAL REPORTER MISSING_  
_[old picture of Aya]_  
_Aya Shameimaru, self-proclaimed "reporter extraordinaire" has_  
_gone missing over the past week. Her irregular print work the_  
_Bunbunmaru at first seemed only to increase is bad reputation_  
_by missing delivery dates as far as 6 days ago. There was a half_  
_finished draft found within the offices of [Continued on page 5]_

~.o.o.o.~

Aya was quite annoyed.

Thanks to the meddling of Louise and Kirche, instead of being able to use her speed to capture the thief quickly and cleanly, a "hunting party" was made. Trapped together with a rag-tag team of three mages and a secretary, Aya hated the rickety cart and its low speed. She wasn't a _Hakurou Tengu_, she wasn't good at full-out assault. How did they expect her to work like one? As a_ Karasu Tengu_ she specialized in information gathering and above all _speed_. This wasn't a scenario for speed anymore. In this situation she needed to be mindful of bystanders and allies, instead of just flying around at top speed spamming bullets.

When she voiced her complaints to her master before leaving, Louise just cited her overwhelming victory over Guiche, clearly proving her dominance in mage-to-mage combat.

Maybe her show of dominance over the blonde fop earlier wasn't a good thing after all.

~ /A few days Earlier \~

"If... If he wins, he'll kill you! You aren't human, so they won't see it as murder! Even in the legends Tengu lost against commoners! Please, reconsider!" Siesta was frantic as Louise and Aya went off to the Challenge Match. Getting only a pat on her head and reassuring smile from the crow-spirit, she turned to its master. "Please Louise, reconsider! I appreciate the two of you coming to my defense... but"

Louise stopped and turned to the maid. "We both know Aya is strong. It's ok. That... That cheating pervert called you a liar and temptress. I... I won't have anyone call m...my... my... fri... friend ... *blush*"

The Maid didn't know what to say. Over the past week the two girls bonded over their shared acquaintance the Crow Tengu, but she never thought a noble of such an influential house would ever consider her a friend.

"T...thanks... Ithinkofyouasafriendtoo..."

Aya stopped and backtracked until she reached the blushing girls. Seeing such a touching moment, there was only one thing to do.

"Hey-" *Eeep!* "-you two. Less flirting, more walking. You don't want us to be late, right?" With that, she set off once again.

The noble and the maid slowly unscrambled their minds and "FAMILIAR!/AYA!"

When they caught up to the Tengu near the Vestri Court she was still giggling.

~.o.~

Aya was ready. The totality of the Vestri Court was filled with young mages and inquisitive servants except for a good sized ring in the middle. She just stepped into the space when Guiche interrupted her.

"Halt! You are no noble! Put away that wand! I will graciously provide you with your weapon, as I can clearly see your _master_ is too much of a _zero_to properly outfit you for this occasion"

Louise almost screamed at the gall Guiche displayed, but was cut off by Aya's wings flaring up and blocking the earth mage from her view. She looked at her familiar who only shook her head and whispered to her about calming down.

Aya turned back to face her opponent and looked down. In her hands were her pen, paper, and fan. The blonde playboy obviously thought that any one of these would give her an unfair advantage. Pity. If he only let her keep it then she could have just dodged, doing a pacifist run. But now? Without the tools of the trade there was no reason _not _to fight back.

"Louise. Hold these for me." With that, she unburdened herself and picked up the flimsy saber provided by the overbearing casanova. Looking it over and noting that it would not hold up to her speed, she made a decision.

"Please give me a moment, _boy_" Guiche bristled at that comment.

"Stalling will not make this a victory, sub-human!" the cat-calls and jeers of the surrounding children filled the air, as Aya could hear her master's head starting to steam.

Aya just ignored him and closed her eyes, willing her wings back into her body. Arcing her back, a sensuous moan escaped her lips as her body slowly reformed. Gasps of wonder filled the courtyard as where an elf-eared winged humanoid was, a strangely dressed completely human-looking girl in a funny hat remained. Now that she no longer looked "sub-human", many males in the audience noted how attractive the short hair, long legs, and thin waist made her look. The short skirt fluttered that above her knees tantalized those who watched as an unseen wind toyed with the hemline.

Testing the heft of the sword in her new form, she leaned forward and balanced precariously on her red shoes.

"When are we going to begin, boy?" Aya taunted towards a flushed Guiche, currently being berated by his girlfriend.

"Shut up Familiar! It was you who was late!"

Ignoring the comment, Aya let herself relax and lean back a bit all while holding the sword like a cane, planted in the ground before her.

"Do you know what they call a flock of birds that happens to be all crows?" She seemingly questioned rhetorically, not paying attention to the noble who just raised his wand.

Interrupting his spellcasting, Guiche scoffed at the question. "Hah. Flying dinner?"

Red eyes seemed to glow as a grin that spoke of only predation crept over the Tengu's face.

"A _**Murder **_of Crows."

~\o.o.o/~

"HAHAHA, partner! Didya hear that?"

Breaking her reminiscence, the sentient sword spoke up from her waist. Just before yesterday's scare with the golem, Louise decided to bring her to the nearby town as a prize. There, for a pittance, Aya discovered a _sentient_sword. It was interesting, and she kept brought it with her today as having a physical weapon would be wise. Blindly using her fan with a flying mage and flame mage would only spell disaster after all.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that"

It seems that the Tengu missed a couple of Kirche's tales that Derflinger enjoyed. Everyone just ignored the talking sword, and went back to their discussion.

Yet something nagged in the back of the crow's mind.

"It... seems... off."

The rest of the cart sans the secretary turned towards her, as they sent inquisitive looks at the reporter.

She began to elaborate. "Fouquet... well... In all the interviews I conducted and the rumors I gathered, Fouquet seemed to target boasters, or people with great wealth and a symbol of excess..."

"And..?" it seemed that her master was also intrigued.

"The Staff of Destruction. There were no rumors of it. It is merely an artifact for study, not even symbolic of wealth. Yes, it is rare, but even on the black market it would be easy to find, as there is only one. It is a legendary weapon, something that cannot be melted down into ingots or even easily be sold."

Even Tabitha had a thought-filled scowl as Aya continued her observations.

"Also, there was a good lull in Fouquet's activity before this theft, from what I gathered. Something else is going on."

"Ah. So, Familiar, you think that we should be wary?" Kirche surmised. "There truly may be more happening here."

At the front of the cart, the green-haired woman sweated. "And where did you get all of this information?"

Aya turned to the familiar voice and responded. "I was a reporter before I was summoned. Writing articles and investigating about interesting news is second nature to me, even if I have no papers to publish in," She paused a bit before continuing. "Which reminds me… Miss Longueville, your story-"

"Familiar! We been through this before-"

The cart abruptly stopped barely inside a forest. Miss Longueville turned and remarked, "Miss Valliere, it is fine. I'll answer your questions as we walk. Unfortunately the carriage will not be able to go much further."

~.o.~

The clearing in the forest smelled. Not of earthy or floral notes, it _smelled_. Sickening sweet decay of leaves mixed with rotting carrion perverted by pleasant aromas. The nobles were gagging as they followed the beaten path to the empty house. Aya, however, reveled in the pure _savagery_of the scent. Flying back from her quick reconnaissance, she reported the details to Louise before floating back in front of Miss Longueville to continue her questioning. Showing off her Tengu superiority, the reporter floated in front of the secretary, flying backwards as she shot off quickfire questions.

"When did you first become Osmond's secretary? How did he hire you? What do you actually do?"

"Just before this semester started, about a month and a half ago I came across Headmaster Osmond in an Inn, and was introduced to him through the owner as he was looking for an extra set of hands to help him with his paperwork."

Aya nodded before dodging a low-hanging beam and and making a small notation on her notepad, much to the amazement and irritation of her audience. The crow tengu then opened the door and led everyone into the dilapidated house. The three academy students split up to search for clues while the reporter turned back to her prey.

"You are a disposed noble, yet are a triangle class mage. Your mannerisms show that you've either grown up as or with very high class nobles. How did this happen?"

That question stopped the secretary in her tracks. She looked around and responded. "Sh... shouldn't we focus on apprehending Fouquet and searching for the Staff of Destruction? This is the building, after all-"

Aya merely looked at her. "Miss Longueville, I can guarantee that our little search party is the only group of living humanoids in a good 500 foot radius. Now, how did this happen?"

The girls regrouped around her and stared at the shocked woman, putting her on the spot.

"I... I..." She looked down. "The... King of Albion went on a crusade... He excecuted the Archduke of Albion-"

Kirche gasped in recognition. "You mean the biggest scandal in the history of the Albion royal family?"

Miss Longueville could only nod.

Even Tabitha made a noise of surprise as they all saw the peasant mage in a new light. Aya was so interested she stopped floating. Longueville felt like a mouse before an eagle as the tengu's eyes took in every detail. Frantic clicking of her ballpoint pen (Nitori brand, based off of newer models from the Moriya, modified to survive Tengu use) filled the room with a chattering like a field of cicadas on a summer eve.

Drawing ever closer, the way the self-proclaimed reporter smiled only served to discomfort the secretary further.

"Oh? do tell..."

Seeing that she was trapped, the earth mage sighed and acquiesced.

Taking a deep breath, she began her story...

~.o.~

I was the daughter of the Viceroy to the Archduke of Albion. It... was a different time. The Archduke, if you did not know, was a very kind and gentle man. He often asked me to call him by his name, James, instead of by his title. He found no fault in any being, be it human or not, until they proved themselves otherwise. He started with no office, and no power. He was the younger half-brother of the King, and would inherit the throne if the king's line died off, not that he was interested in it at all, or that it had much of a chance going to him.

He devoted his life to traveling around like a free spirit both in Albion and beyond. His explorations became famous and the public and academics waited for each of his travel journals to be released. Yet once the current king ascended to the throne, twenty five years ago, he named James as the Archduke out of spite, knowing that such a large piece of land would tie him down. He furthered the insult by demanding his half-brother to marry their second cousin, Irene.

The newly made Archduke protested this but could not go against the King, so he hatched a cunning plan. All he needed was a man to run the country and take care of legal matters when he was away, so he called upon his best friend from the Academy: My father.

Given all the duties and powers of the Archduke, my father went from a poor fourth-son noble to the Viceroy of Saxe-gotha. He happily governed the lands while the Archduke went about his adventures. He had a... dutiful wife, though their marriage was... complex, to say the least. There were various strains on the relationship due to my father's sudden ascent to power.

On the other hand, the Archduke wasn't without marital problems himself. The Archduchess stayed behind during all his adventures and many said that James went on so many adventures just to avoid Irene.

As I grew up, the archduchess doted on me quite a bit, often inserting herself into my family's celebrations and meals. Out of lonliness, she used to tell me, during our private teatimes.

One day, rumors reached my father and I about the Archduke being seen with a woman of stunning beauty, able to enchant any man she came across. We feared for the worst until one day, James came home.

And then, we realized that it was even more horrible than we thought.

I couldn't understand the horror and fear the whole castle felt. Being only five, I thought that the woman looked so beautiful, with her long blonde hair drifting in a non-existent wind, and clear blue eyes constantly twinkling with laughter and happiness.

As I ran up to greet her, she stooped down and patted my head, only for her hooded robe to slip off.

And then I saw the pointed ears and I knew.

For the Archduke's kindness knew no bound nor limits. He brought home an Elf.

Afterwards, the servants and other nobles were all sworn to secrecy. The elf was kept deep in the castle, only allowed out into the courtyard under heavy supervision and secrecy.

What happened later didn't matter. All I know is that during a visit from the King, the Archduchess had too much wine to drink and let slip there was an elf of incomprehensible beauty in the castle. The King demanded to have her, to take her away from the Archduke, but for the first, and last, time in his life James refused to abide by his brother's wishes.

~.o.~

The girls all listened to the secretary in rapt attention. Even Tabitha seemed to be tearing up, as Aya furiously scribbled down notes. Voice carefully level and distant, Longueville kept her eyes closed as she concluded the story.

"Less than a year later, the King notified the Church and together the executed all the nobles and servants that lived together in that castle. I was left alive, but stripped of my status, expelled from Albion's magical academy, and exiled. And here I am today..."

"How... how horrible!" Kirche cried as she wiped her eyes, "Such...such a tragic romance!"

Then, thinking it over, the busty redhead gasped. "Oh… oh no! We shan't tell anyone of this, right girls?"

To the side of the Zerbst, Aya's master nodded, yet seemed subdued. "Yes… Let's ... Let's return to looking for the staff now..."

With Tabita's nod of assent, the three students restarted their search.

Noting that any more people searching would be a waste, the secretary declared that she would look around the perimeter to see if Fouquet left anything behind. Aya quickly followed.

~.o.~

"You shouldn't run off so fast, Miss Longueville." The tengu said, perched above the bespectacled secretary's head. "You should always have someone to watch your back."

The other woman could only chuckle. "Do you have more questions? I already told you my life story."

Longueville's eyes caught the sickening smirk on the reporter's face as she once again flew in front of her. "Just one. Have you noticed that you forgot something?"

Confused at the strange query, the secretary could only stare blankly at Aya. What on earth was she talking about?

Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. "Wait... how did you know I was a Triangle class mage?"

That damned smirk again. Longueville could swear she heard the cawing of crows in the background.

"I didn't. You're overlooking that fact confirmed who you really are... Fouquet." Aya's smile was predatory.

The thief whipped out her wand to evoke a golem or spell but before anything could happen, it was shorn in twain.

It was a speed that she could not perceive.

Red eyes bore into the Thief's own fear-filled brown ones.

"I'm not interested in "bringing you to justice" or anything like that." the Tengu continued, as if Fouquet didn't just try to kill her. "That's Louise's wish. What I want to know... is your story... Matilda... the _whole _story"

* * *

AN: End of chapter two. Chapter 1 has been modified too. Those of you who know the Light novels, don't spoil it too much. (I just know someone's going to say "you got yer canon wrong!" at which I can only headdesk because that person cannot see the implications of the final scene.

Oh yes, for those Touhou fans that see Aya as a ditz: I'm going with a more canon interpretation of Aya, being a very good reporter, but she sucks at running, editing, and printing a paper. She's a genius investigator and muckraker, but when it comes to actually putting the paper together she's kind of lost.

Also, there are some backstory things with Aya that'll come into play later. The relevant omakes will be released in Zero Patience if you are interested.


End file.
